1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an apparatus and method of improving the fuel efficiency of an internal combustion engine, and in particular, to an apparatus and method for hydrolyzing water into a mixture comprising hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, which is combined with the fuel and air mixture used in an internal combustion engine.
2. History of the Prior Art
During the past 30 years, significant advances have been made in internal combustion engine technology that have dramatically improved the efficiency of internal combustion engines. For gasoline engines, four-valve-per-cylinder combustion chamber designs, coupled with computer monitoring of the combustion process and computer control of both valve timing and fuel injection, have resulted in significant gains in fuel economy. Whereas in the 1950s and 1960s, two and three-speed automatic transmissions were 10 to 20 percent less efficient than manual transmissions, the computer-controlled, six and seven-speed automatic transmissions of the twenty-first century are, typically, more efficient than manual transmissions. Although added weight from new safety features and a host of accessories that have become “essential” have somewhat reduced the effect of gains in drivetrain efficiency, a large percentage of the gain in efficiency has been applied by vehicle manufacturers to engine power output. The result has been very little overall increase in corporate average fuel efficiency during the past 25 years.
The rapid rise of the price of crude oil between 2007 and 2008 and once again in 2011 has traumatized the transportation industry. Most global airline companies are sustaining huge operating losses because of high fuel costs, and are headed for insolvency. U.S. automobile manufacturers, who have long relied on fuel-guzzling, high-markup light trucks and SUVs for most of their profits, have watched sales of those vehicles drop precipitously. Not since the early 1970s has such an economically compelling reason existed for U.S. consumers to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles. Since the 1975, U.S. Federal regulations have attempted to pressure automobile manufacturers to improve the fuel efficiency of their corporate offerings. Although the price of crude oil has apparently peaked and is headed down, few consumers will be willing to risk purchasing a fuel-inefficient vehicle any time soon. Thus, economics may prove to be a far more effective incentive for improving the fuel efficiency of new vehicles than any government regulation.
A number of new technologies have shown great promise in enhancing the efficiency of internal combustion engines. Computer-controlled, common-rail, ultra-high-pressure direct injection designs have greatly improved the fuel economy and reduced emissions of a new generation of diesel engines. Internal combustion steam engines, which are still in the earliest stages of development, have demonstrated dramatic increases in thermal efficiency.
This patent application deals with another technology that has been shown to enhance the operational efficiency of conventional internal combustion engines operating primarily on conventional fuels such as gasoline, ethanol, and gasoline-ethanol mixtures. The technology is implemented by introducing a mixture of small quantities of hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) (commonly called Brown's gas, HHO gas, or oxyhydrogen gas) generated by an electrolyzer into the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine. It is believed that the explosive reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the combustion chambers of the engine promotes more complete combustion of the primary fuel, with a corresponding decrease in incomplete combustion products, such as soot and carbon monoxide. The hydrolysis of water to produced both hydrogen and oxygen gases is well known in the art. Water is, of course, a non-flammable, stable and safe compound. However, as hydrogen and oxygen gases are both unstable, highly-reactive, and—when combined—potentially explosive, utilization of hydrogen gas in vehicular applications must be undertaken with great care and intelligent equipment design.
A plethora of electrolyzers are being offered for sale on every forum imaginable, including eBay and Craig's List. A recent search for “electrolyzer” on eBay found over 100 electrolyzers of various designs for sale. A search using the descriptor “hydrogen generator” found over 1500 items for sale! Most of these electrolyzers are intended for use in vehicular applications. Many are crude, barely-usable contraptions being hocked by fast-buck artists. Others are more refined designed and include all the components required for integrating the output from the electrolyzer into the vehicle's induction system.
A major problem with associated with the current generation of electrolyzer systems is the introduction of electrolyte mist into the induction system of the equipped vehicle. Sodium hydroxide (NAOH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) are the two most commonly used electrolytes for this application. These hydroxide compounds are deposited on the airflow mass sensor and on the inside of the intake manifold. After coating the intake manifold, these compounds coat the intake ports and the intake valves and they enter the cylinders. During the combustion process, much of the entering electrolyte compound is deposited on the surfaces of the cylinder head that form the combustion chamber, on the cylinder walls combustion chamber walls and on the top of the piston. Though the piston's compression rings tend to scrape most deposits off of the cylinder walls, aluminum surfaces on the piston and cylinder head are subject to chemical etching due to the presence of the hydroxide compounds. If the deposits become excessive, an engine tear down, cleaning, and reassembly is recommended. Such a procedure can cost thousands of dollars. Replacement of aluminum pistons may require both removal of the engine block from the vehicle and a bottom-end tear down. Damaged cylinder heads can be expensive to replace. For example, the wholesale cost of an aluminum cylinder head for the engine of a Mercedes Benz 300SDL diesel sedan is approximately $2,500.
A typical supposed remedy for eliminating the introduction of electrolyte mist into the induction system of a vehicle is to duct the generated gases from the electrolyzer unit into an electrolyte supply tank and allow the gases to bubble through the liquid electrolyte. To further enhance the process of removing electrolyte from the generated hydrogen and oxygen gases, a gas diffuser is positioned at or near the bottom of the electrolyte supply tank, and the incoming gasses are passed through the gas diffuser. The gas diffuser breaks up the incoming gases into small bubbles, thereby reducing splattering of the electrolyte solution as the rising bubbles break the surface, enabling the incoming gas to be more effectively cooled, and the electrolyte mist to be more fully absorbed into the electrolyte solution. The smaller the bubbles, the slower they rise to the surface, the greater the likelihood that electrolyte mist trapped within the bubble will be absorbed into the surrounding solution, and the faster the heat transfer from the gas into the solution. A further enhancement is to duct the gases exiting from the electrolyte supply tank into a secondary tank partially filled with pure water. A gas diffuser can be placed at the bottom of the secondary tank in order to break up the incoming gasses into small bubbles. The water in the secondary tank is discarded periodically and replaced with fresh pure water. Air diffusers that have been previously used are those which are commonly used to diffuse air introduced into fish tanks. These can take the form of perforated, soaker-hose-type tubing, as well as porous stone diffusers.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional prior art approach to minimizing the introduction of electrolyte solution into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine. An electrolysis unit 101 is shown coupled to an electrolyte supply tank 102, which is, in turn, coupled to a bubbler tank 103. It will be noted that the gas inlet/electrolyte overflow return inlet 112 of the electrolyte supply tank 102 is coupled to the gas outlet 108 of the electrolysis unit 101 via return hose 109, and that the electrolyte outlet 113 is coupled to the electrolyte filler inlet 110 of the electrolysis unit 101 via supply hose 111. Both the gas inlet/overflow return inlet 112 and the electrolyte outlet 113 are both located near the bottom of the electrolyte supply tank 102. Projecting tabs 104 and 106 are directly coupled to the outer plates of a series-coupled seven-plate assembly with insulated cables 105 (ground) and 107 (12-volt DC), respectively. It will be noted that the electrolyte outlet 113 of the electrolyte supply tank 102 is above the level of the upper edges of the plates within the electrolysis unit 101 so that gravity can maintain the electrolysis unit filled to an optimum level. Optionally, the electrolysis unit 101 can be filled with a pump, rather than by gravity feed. It will be further noted that the electrolyte supply tank 102 is partially filed with electrolyte 115 (e.g., an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide), that hydrogen and oxygen gases generated within the electrolysis unit 101 enter the gas inlet/overflow return inlet 112, bubble through the electrolyte 115 and accumulate in the space 116 above the electrolyte 115 before escaping through the gas outlet 114 of the electrolyte supply tank 102. The cap 117 can be removed to replenish the electrolyte 115. The gas outlet 114 is coupled to the gas inlet 119 of the bubbler tank 103 via an intermediate hose 118. The bubbler tank 103 is partially filled with pure water 120. Hydrogen and oxygen gas entering the gas inlet 119 bubbles through the water 120 and accumulates in the space 121 above the water 120 before exiting the bubbler tank 103 through gas escape fitting 123. A gas delivery hose 124 couples the escape fitting 123 to a one-way valve 125, which closes in the event a back fire causes reverse pressure. The one-way valve 125 thus prevents explosions of the hydrogen and oxygen gases within the bubbler tank 103. It should be noted that the present invention does not focus on electrolyzer design. In fact, this system can be used in combination with any electrolyzer unit.
Despite the steps taken by prior art equipment to reduce the amount of electrolyte introduced into the intake manifold of engines equipped with oxyhydrogen gas generators, there still exists a need to further improve the air-diffusion process, thereby completely eliminating the introduction of solid electrolytic into the intake manifolds of electrolyzer-equipped engines.